+27(0) 86 122 8467
Community development
Purpose of the program
The following courses were presented on behalf of the Howard Buffet Foundation and MinAgri at Nasho Irrigation Project, Rwanda, during November 2016 and December 2016.
Learning modules
Part 1: Community and Cooperatives
Module 1: Basic farm management
Learning Unit 1: The Food Production Value Chain
- Understand the farming system
- Understand the food value chain and how it impacts on the farming system
- Understand farm production
- Apply the key production principles during each stage of farm production
- Know the challenges that crop farmers are faced with and how to overcome these
Learning Unit 2: Basic Farm Finance
- Understand the concepts of income and expense
- Know how to draft a basic cash flow plan
- Understand the concepts of Profit and Loss
- Apply methods to become more profitable and be financially healthy
Learning Unit 3: Conduct Effective Meetings
- Define the concept meeting
- Use terminology necessary to make contributions during meetings
- Distinguish between different types of meetings
- Describe standard meeting protocols and procedures for conducting a meeting and explain the importance of these.
- Explain the importance of ensuring that decisions are made only within the authority of the people attending the meeting
Learning Unit 4: Preparing the Land
- Demonstrate an understanding of soil properties and can identify different soil types
- Know the different water holding and drainage capacity of soil types
- The impact of soil types and crop production
- Apply basic methods of soil preparation
- Know how to correctly use soil preparation tools
Learning Unit 5: Planting the Crop
Know the machinery and implements for establishing crops
- Know how to correctly handle plant material
- Understand the impact of environmental factors on the planting process
- Demonstrate an ability to planting:
Learning Unit 6: Growing Crops
- Know the phases of growth of the plant
- Know the plant’s need for water
- Know the plant’s need for heat
Learning Unit 7: Fertilize Soil and attend to basic Plant Nutrition
- Soil fertilizer and plant nutrition
- Methods and techniques for the application of fertilizer
Learning Unit 8: Control Diseases in Crops
- Identify typical diseases that is found in Southern Africa for various crops eg.
- Maize
- Soya beans
- Dry beans
Learning Unit 9: Harvesting Agricultural Crops
- Understand the use of harvesting equipment
- Know when the plant is ready to be harvested:
- Maize
- Soybeans
- Dry beans
- Understand the crop harvest process
- Know how to handle waste
Part 2: Capacitate the leadership team (Members of Cooperatives)
Learning Unit 1: Team Motivation and Team Work
- Why motivating staff is important
- Definition of motivation
- How personal needs will impact on an employee’s motivation to perform
- How factors in the working environment could impact on an employee’s motivation to perform
- How factors relating to the job has an impact on an employee’s motivation to perform.
- Team development
- Team performance
Learning Unit 2: Developing a Farming Business Plan
- Developing a Business Plan
- Legislation impacting on your business
Learning Unit 3: Understanding Business Financial Reports
- Record keeping
- Balance sheet
- Income statement
- Cash flow statement
- Audit reports
- Interpreting financial statements
Learning Unit 4: Costing of Production Services
- Optimal use of implements.
- Implement specification – how to determine the right implement for the task at hand.
- How to determine running costs of implements?
- How to determine the price of service?
Learning Unit 5: Basic Agri Produce Marketing and Sales
- Marketing
- Elements of marketing
- Supply and demand
- Demand vs. production driven marketing
- Price and Marketing
- Obtain market information
- Plan your produce marketing channels
- Marketing plan